


Machinations of fate

by Melime



Category: The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Arranged Marriage, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-20
Updated: 2020-06-20
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:01:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,891
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24825004
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Melime/pseuds/Melime
Summary: When Legolas runs away from his arranged marriage, he ends up meeting a dwarf that makes him change his mind.
Relationships: Gimli (Son of Glóin)/Legolas Greenleaf
Comments: 16
Kudos: 122





	Machinations of fate

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into Português brasileiro available: [Maquinações do destino](https://archiveofourown.org/works/24825010) by [Melime GreenLeaf (Melime)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Melime/pseuds/Melime%20GreenLeaf)



> Wrtiten for Ingridmatthews' Stocking, Fandom Stocking 2018.

By the end of the month, Legolas was to be married.

He couldn't stand that thought.

Arranged marriages weren't a common practice anymore, but they were still known to happen among the nobility. He had always known that, had always expected it.

What he didn't expect was that he would be asked to do something like this, to be the hope of peace for his people.

Because the person he was promised to, the person he was arranged to marry, was a dwarf.

Legolas didn't know much about that dwarf. He didn't know his name or what he looked like, all that Legolas knew was that he was of noble blood, part of the royal family, but not close to the line of succession.

They would probably get married, be expected to live together for a short period of time, and then go their separate ways while still married. After one or two hundred years, Legolas would be free and would be allowed to remarry after an appropriate period of mourning. It was a sacrifice, but not one as big as others had been asked to take, and Legolas even felt more sorry for the dwarf. After all, Legolas would still have a long life after this arrangement, but the dwarf would have to tolerate this for the rest of his life.

Still, as the wedding day approached, Legolas realized that he couldn't do this. However, there was no way of ending the engagement without worsening the conflict between their people. That is, no way unless he could make it seem like he was unable to marry by forces beyond his control.

Which was how Legolas found himself sending his horse back home, with its fur stained with some of Legolas' blood, from a cut he made on his hand, and an arrow trapped across the horse's hair. They would assume him missing, kidnapped perhaps, and that would buy him enough time to flee. It wasn't a perfect solution, but the dwarves wouldn't hold it against them if the elven prince they were promised was missing. In fact, they would be expected to help look for him. All he had to do was get far away, and return after a few years with a story of how he escaped his captors. Or maybe he could even pretend to have lost his memory in an attack and traveled the world trying to remember who he was. He had time to think about that.

\---

Legolas kept the cape hiding most of his face. The tavern was full of humans, and an elf would stand out. Stand out as much as the redheaded dwarf sitting alone with a pint of beer.

Legolas didn't know what made him go to that dwarf and ask to sit with him. Guilt maybe, or perhaps curiosity. He knew very little of dwarves, despite being asked to marry one. This was part of what made him hate this arrangement so much. The dwarf allowed him to sit with a gesture, and for a while they were silent. Legolas didn't know what he could say, how to start a conversation that wouldn't lead to questions he wouldn't know how to answer. He was never very good at lying.

"You don't have to say what you're running from, but you are not being a very good drinking partner like this," the dwarf finally said.

Legolas was taken aback by that. "What makes you think I'm running from something?"

"No one gets here unless they are running, hiding, or have nowhere else to go."

Legolas looked around the tavern, that seemed like a good assessment. "Where does that leave you?"

"Hiding, I suppose. Not for long, though. I'm Gimli," he offered.

"Legolas," he said, not having time to think of a lie.

\---

They talked for hours, and it was morning before both of them decided it would be best to retire to their respective quarters and rest. Gimli never offered what he was hiding from, and Legolas didn't ask. It didn't seem fair, as he didn't say either what he was running from. Still, in that one night, Legolas had found that much of what he knew about dwarves was wrong, a simple product of the animosity between their people.

It was a shame that he had to marry someone of royal blood, because he could see himself enjoying that dwarf's company. Of course he didn't fall in love over the course of an evening, it wasn't the sort of thing that elves did, but before he had believed that he wouldn't be able to even tolerate the presence of a dwarf, but then there he was, having a nice conversation.

Still, it seemed to be the work of fate, that he would run from a dwarf only to find himself drawn to another.

\---

Time kept passing, as time is known to do, and despite his initial plans, Legolas stayed at the inn adjacent to the tavern. Although he didn't articulate it in those terms, perhaps his continued stay was related to Gimli, who had also elected to stay there for that period.

He shouldn't have stayed, it would have been best if he was already far away from his homeland, not so close to it, waiting to be found.

Perhaps the reason was because, even when he ran, he never intended to escape his responsibilities. There was still a conflict that needed to be resolved, and for the sake of his people, he wanted to do whatever he could to stop it. He needed time to think, but he couldn't keep running forever.

He still had time to make it to the wedding if he left in the morning, so that was what he chose to do. But before, he wanted to say his goodbyes to his dwarven friend.

\---

"I haven't been completely honest with you," Legolas confessed over a pint of beer.

Gimli eyed him with curiosity, but not judgement. "I told you from the start you didn't have to be."

"Still, I think you should know, I'm here because I'm running from an arranged marriage."

"Oh," Gimli said, placing his pint over the table, "I see."

"And the reason I'm telling you this now is because over the course of the last few weeks, I came to think of you as a friend, so I wanted you to know that I'll be leaving this place. I'm going back home, to fulfill my duties."

"What made you change your mind?"

"You did. Before, I believed that I could only ever loathe a dwarf, but you showed me that my preconceptions were wrong. I don't know who is this person that I will marry, nor can I know if we will get along, but I believe it was unfair of me to dismiss the idea entirely. And if all goes terrible, I can always return home after a couple of days and hide under my bed for two hundred years." He smiled at the last part, trying for a joke.

"Here is to hoping it won't get to that," Gimli said, raising his pint and taking a drink.

Legolas did the same. "And you, do you think now you could tell me what you are hiding from?"

Gimli shook his head. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you now."

\---

Coming back when he had to deal first with his father's worry, then with his lectures, but Legolas was prepared for that. As preparations had continued to be made in his absence, everything would be ready for the ceremony the following day, and even the dwarven entourage arrived on time. Soon a war that started long before he was born would be over.

And for some reason, he couldn't stop thinking about his unlikely friend.

\---

The party was happening all around him, but Legolas couldn't get himself to celebrate. He was still waiting to meet his soon to be husband, and the longer he thought about it, the more he considered all the ways that this could go badly.

He was so immersed in his own thoughts that he didn't notice his father approaching.

"There has been a change of plans," Thranduil said, startling Legolas.

"What? What happened?"

"I spoke to the dwarf Glóin, and apparently his son expressed concern that our traditions were being skipped. He asked for a traditional betrothal, even made the bands to be exchanged. So it appears the purpose of this party has been changed."

"I don't understand, how would they even know of our traditions?"

The only thing Legolas could think of was the fact that he told Gimli about that, during one of their late night conversations, but why would he tell anyone about that?

"I don't know, but it doesn't matter, they still agreed on signing the peace treaty after the celebration tonight, so it is of no concern to us."

After that, he left, leaving behind a confused Legolas.

\---

The party went on, and Legolas grew tired of walking around the room, making small talk and greeting every one. He sat alone at an isolated table, and hoped this betrothal could happen soon, so he could retire to his room and sleep.

It was then that he was greeted by the most unexpected person he could imagine.

"Goodnight, Legolas. I have to say the crown suits you better than the hood," Gimli said in a teasing tone.

"Gimli? What are you doing here?"

There were many dwarves at the party, as was to be expected, but Legolas had yet to see him, despite thinking he had greeted everyone at the hall.

"I said before that you might not believe me if I told you my story, that is even more true now."

"That is hardly fair, you know who I am and why I am here, don't I deserve the same courtesy?"

"You misunderstand me, I had every intention of telling you, I just didn't know how to make you believe me. Even I had trouble believing in the machinations of fate, this time."

"Then tell me, instead of teasing me so."

"I was hiding at that tavern because I was tasked with a mission of great importance, but that I hated. And yet, like happened to you, our time together made me change my mind."

"What was your mission?" Legolas asked, even though he suspected he already knew the answer.

"To bring peace between dwarves and elves by marrying an elven prince," he said, looking away.

Legolas gasped. "So it was you! I suspected when the request for an elven betrothal came. But why? Why did you ask for a betrothal?"

"Because I hope that this can become something that both of us could choose, and not a dreadful obligation. I never thought I could enjoy the company of an elf, but you've proven me wrong. You told me that a betrothal should last at least a year, that would give us more time to get to know each other."

Legolas had a million things passing through his head, but his main thought was that he wanted this. He had thought to himself that he would rather marry Gimli than an unknown dwarf, but until realizing that this was what would happen, he hadn't realized how much he wanted this. He took Gimli's hand in between his. "I would love that."


End file.
